Twists & Turns of Life

The slab of sycamore measuring 8” X 14” by 2 5/8” thick was a gift from a friend. My experience with sycamore up to now is limited to seeing the beautiful box that Andy (gfadvm) made. I love the fine and subtle grains in sycamore as it reminds me of the similar grains in ivory. It is harder to carve than basswood; about the same as maple.

I’ve named my sculpture “The Twists & Turns of Life”. You may have noticed that the pot is cracked symbolizing growing up in a dysfunctional family. And as you can see I took a couple of side trips in my life as well as experiencing dual personalities. I am glad that I have re-connected with Heaven in the latter part of my life.

I was extra careful not to accidentally break any of the twists and turns, especially the ends of the lower branches. Yesterday, I applied a coat of Sam Maloof’s Poly/Oil very carefully with a soft brush used in water color painting. After the finish was applied, lo and behold! some flaws showed up. So today I spent most of the day making necessary changes and reapplied the finish. The wood was very thirsty as it darkened the wood quite a bit. I spent a total of 110 hours in carving time, using a scroll saw to cut out the big holes; the rest was done mostly with hand tools, a few power tools such as Proxon Power Carver and a Dremel. ..... finished just in time for my birthday tomorrow for which my sweetheart is taking me to an Indian (India) Festival ! !

-- LittlePAW - The sweetest sound in my shop, next to Mozart, is what a hand plane makes slicing a ribbon.

That turned out to be an amazing piece of art. The interior carving appears so delicate that I can’t imagine the care you took not to break an end off. The somewhat stringy grain was probably a plus. I love sycamore and you did this piece proud. The finish appears to have worked well. And happy birthday!